3 Reasons Why You Should Not Sell Your House To Become A Digital Nomad

The nomadic lifestyle sure has its perks – getting to know other cultures and countries, meeting new people, traveling from place to place never to get bored… And all of that while being paid for doing it!

Of course, it also means leaving your home for quite some time. So, the question arises – will it be wiser to just sell your home and put the money you earn to a good use on the road?

Well, even though this sounds like a logical thing to do at first, there are a couple of things to consider before you actually get rid of your home and your belongings. Here’s why you could end up regretting your decision to put your home up for sale while experiencing the nomadic life:

1. You’ll need to prove yourself first

If you think you can start earning a nice amount of money after just a month or two, you’re definitely wrong, unfortunately. You need to be mentally (and financially!) prepared for a couple of years of proving your worth among numerous people who live the same way you do. Moving up the chain isn’t easy – everybody is struggling to move up the ladder, stealing all the good jobs from you. Your reputation needs time; you’ll need to build it year after year, on various sites. Attracting audience on social media means constant and hard work. Experience in social media marketing that’s a necessity doesn’t come overnight – so know that there will be a lot of moments of frustration.

While you’re making your way up the ladder, how are you actually paying for all those plane tickets, food, and accommodation? Well, from your own pocket, of course. Each part of the equipment you’ll need will be bought by your credit card.

So, this is the tricky part – maybe you think that the money you get from selling your home will come in handy, but what happens if you spend that money too fast (which is pretty likely to happen) and you realize you need to quit and go back to your hometown? Where will you go back exactly?

2. Renting as a reliable back-up

Whether you’ve decided to take the plunge into the unknown from the start, or you’re going through the trial period, there’s still a much smarter option on what to do with your house of a flat. Instead of selling it as fast as you can, try renting out. It’s possible to rent it for a couple of months, while you’re on the road, or, if you’re unsure of how long you’ll be able to live abroad like a nomad, you can apply your house/flat on a site such as Airbnb and rent it for just a couple of days. This way, you can come back home whenever you decide – there isn’t a long-term contract that prevents you from doing that. If you’re planning on renting the flat for a longer period of time, you only need to find a place for storing your things while you’re away. A quick “self storage” search on the web will give you tons of companies which you can entrust with your personal belongings.

3. Start small

Rather than deciding one evening to go abroad and start a nomadic life, while simultaneously putting your home on real estate adverts, think about a “test ride”. Consider taking a three month trip to a country not very far away. If it’s a country where English isn’t spoken – even better. That way, you’ll get the feeling of just how it is when you are a complete stranger who doesn’t speak the language nor is familiar with the local customs. However, you can’t just blindly move to another country, as Withstand lawyers warn digital nomads who should get familiar with the laws of the country they’re planning on living in. You will maybe have to apply for a visa – it could be a tourist visa or a visa run. Another thing is that some countries demand that a foreigner registers with the police or another authority, especially if their accommodation isn’t a hotel. You’ll also have to check any other legal issues of the country that differ from the ones you’re accustomed to in your home country. There are endless everyday situations that you can find yourself in, where you’ll desperately try to reach some kind of agreement people, but all in vain. This type of isolation, where you’re surrounded by people who don’t understand you, is a great image of what will be ahead of you if you choose to live like that. If you manage to get through those three months without using the plane ticket back home before that period extends, you can consider a six months trial period. The same process – choose an unknown country and try to hold on under pressure. If you do that a couple of times within a couple of years and enjoy the ride, then you can actually start thinking about selling your home and move permanently.

All in all

Don’t rush anything. Nomadic life isn’t something everybody can do. You don’t know until you’ve tried it. Once you’re sure that’s what you really want, there will be a plenty of time to sell your home.